Whitby, Porirua City

Pauatahanui Forest and Bird Reserve

Porirua City Walks

**Pauatahanui haven for waterfowl
By Louise Thomas
**

The Pauatahanui Inlet Wildlife Reserve in Porirua Harbour, 30 km north of Wellington is a magnificent site for both bird and native plant enthusiasts.

The 50ha estuarine salt marsh boasts five "hides" (little cabins with seating and viewing slots for bird watching) in various locations around the reserve, all of which allow good views and photography opportunities of the local bird life, particularly waterfowl. The tracks are flat and well maintained, and are either gravel or boardwalk.

The hide on the western side of the reserve extends well out into the estuary and offers a view of the shag roost – a purpose built wooden frame for the local residents who include little shags, little black shags, black shags, and the larger pied shag.

From this hide it also not uncommon to see spur-winged plovers, black swans - often en masse, Canada geese, and sacred kingfishers. The kingfishers relish the numerous small crabs and fish to be found in the area. On occasion, there are spoonbills, although these tend to flock outside of the reserve further up Grays Road in the more open estuary areas.

Two other hides cover sea rush-surrounded ponds where white-faced herons and pied stilts can often be seen sedately fossicking through the shallows – feasting on the numerous aquatic bugs and small fish. Australasian shoveler and paradise shelducks can also be seen bobbing around the ponds.

The tracks between the hides also offer good views of welcome swallows and sacred kingfishers swooping – and the odd harrier hawk, but, of course, when the hawks turn up the smaller birdlife tends to disappear quickly. Strategically placed seats along the Pauatahanui Stream, which enters the reserve from the south-west offer some of the best views of the swallows and kingfishers. "Stream" is somewhat of an understatement as the waterway is wide and fast flowing by the time it reaches the reserve.

Further inland towards the village, tracks run through kanuka and manuka scrub vegetation and it would be unusual for quiet walkers not to be checked out by the local curious fantail population hawking for bugs or see tui chasing each other through the bush.

Grays Road runs through the reserve, which is bounded on two sides by Highway 58 and the Paramata/Paekakariki Hill Road. The reserve to the North of Grays Road is a little drier and hosts a decent pukeko population as well as spur-winged plovers.

Visitors to the reserve have also reported more unusual sightings including the nationally critical brown bitterns, grey teals, and grey warblers, as well as the migratory banded dotterels and bar-tailed godwits that tend to turn up in New Zealand in late October for the summer.

Access into the reserve can be found in various places, but the best way in is via the carpark entrance to the reserve next to the Light House Cinema in the Pauatahanui village.

As the wildlife reserve contains some rare protected bird life and plants - dogs, hunting, bikes, motorbikes, and fires are strictly prohibited, although there is a decent picnic and bbq area near the visitors information centre and toilets. There are also two good cafes in easy walking distance in the township.

Image Credits: Louise Thomas:
1. White-faced heron wades in a pond surrounded by beaded glasswort and sea rushes
2. Pied stilt,
3. Pied stilts (breeding pair),
4. Fantail along the walking track,
5. Sacred kingfisher perched on a flax look-out about to hawk,
6. Spur-winged plover bathing, the spurs are readily visible on the open wings – shot from a hide at Pauatahanui Reserve.

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